Improvement in horse hat-forks



(itnitniA gieten @wat @Mira Letters Patent No. 92,762, dated July 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE lHAY-FORKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part f the Bime- To all whom it may concern.-

To enable otheis skilled iu the arts to comprehend,

make, and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its nature, construction, and operation.

The nature of my invention consists in so proportioning and arranging the links of a single toggle-joint,-

which operates to close and open the tines of a hayfork, that when vthe fork is closed upon the hay, the toggle-joint shall be in a position to hold the tines together, without locking the trip, and when the tines -are opened, for the purpose of releasing the hay, the

toggle-joint shall be in a position to hold the tines apalt, while the fork is suspended.

It also consists in so applying a tripping-bar and rope to a toggle-joint, that they shall hold the tines apart while'the fork is being drawn over the hay by the tripping-rope; and

It further consists in extending one of the links of the toggle-joint, so as to foun a locking-lever, and in pivoting the tripping-bar in such arrangement with it that it may be locked by the trip before. the tines are closed.

Figure l is an elevation of my fork in a closed position.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the same.

Figure is an elevation of my fork in an open posiion.

Figure 4 is a plan of the trip.

a and a', fork-times.

Tine a is divided at its upper end into two branches, one terminating in joint fr, and the other in' joint s.

b short link of the toggle-joint.

b', the. same, extended sov as to funn a Llocking-lever.

c, long link of the toggle-joint. f

c', hole for the tripping-cord, to serve as a guide, if required.

d, tripping-bar.

c, link 'between tripping-bar adlocking-lever.

e'-, pivot, joining the tripping-bar tothe link e.

fi, trip.

t', ring, forattaching the tripping-rope. b n, pivot of the trip, attach'ng it to the 'clipping- I o, point extending from the tripping-bar, to serve. as

a guard, to prevent the trip from being. raised while drawing the fork over beams, or Aany other object that may come in contact with it.

o', spring of the trip.

c', joint between the two tines.

r', joint between tine u and the link c.

s, joint between tine a and link b.

t, rope, which suspends and raises the fork. A

u, joint between the two links of the toggle-joint.

c, tripping-rope.

o', guides for the same.

w, dotted lines, showing a position of the lockinglever, in which the trip may be closed upon it. I

x, hole in the tripping-bar, for the attachment of' the suspending-rope.

My invention refers to that kind of'lay-forkwhich is operated by horse-power, and is used principally for unloading hay, and its operation is as follows:

The forked is first opened, as shown in fig. 3, the two tines grasped near the toggle-joints, and then forced down into the hay. As this is done, the tines approach each other at their points, and thelockinglever assumes the position indicated by dotted lines fw, when the tripping-bar, swinging upon pivot e', may be bent down, and the trip thrown overthe end of locking-lever o.

rlhen,by the application of power to the rope t, the tripping-bar and locking-lever assume a vertical position, the tines are forced together through the hay, and all parts of the fork assume the vpositions shown in g. 1.

' When the hay has been drawn up 'to the place Where itis to be deposited, it. is discharged from -the fork by drawing upon tripping-cord fu', the Weight of the fork and haycausing the parts toassume the position represented in g. 4.

When the fork is closed, the two links b and c of the toggle-joint are almost in a right line, so that the tendency of the fork to open, by the weight of the hay, has very little effect upon the trip, yetsuicient to move the parts when the trip is raised and the locking-lever released.

When the fork` is opened' to full width, the linkslb and c of thetoggle-joint are nearly folded upon each other, and as the tripping-bar, to which both the suspending and tripping-rope are attached, is pivoted at e', force applied to either of the ropes tends to keep the parts in the same position, and so enables the man on the load of hay to draw the fork toward him, by the tripping-rope, without closing-it.

Link e need not necessarily be made separate from the locking-lever, as it has little or no motion independent ot' that device, but, to save expense, I make them in two pieces.

By dividing the upper end of tine a, and extending one branch to r and the other tofs, these two joints are' in a position to facilitate'the application of a toggle-joint, which shall hold the tines opened or closed,

as before stated, by extending the two links band cl nearly into a. right line, to hold the-fork closed, and by folding the two links uponA themselves, so as fo .bring them4 in line again for hold the fork open.

' Having described my invention,

I desire to have secured by Letters Patent- 1. So arranging the tripping-bar in relation to the locking-lever, that the trip may be thrown over the locking-lever before the fork is closed7 substantially as and for the piu'posc specified.

2. The combination of guard o with trip'i and tripgagne ping-bar d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the divided tine a., togglejoint b :md c, tripping-bar (l, locking-lever b, :md trip i, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

JOHN F. THOMAS Vitnesses':

W. H. ELLIOT,` F. 0. SHEPAYRD. 

